Jimmie Lee Jackson

Jimmie Lee Jackson (16 December 1938-26 February 1965) was a Baptist preacher from Marion, Alabama who was murdered at a restaurant by state troopers after a night march in Marion in 1965.

Biography
Jimmie Lee Jackson was born in Marion, Alabama on 16 December 1938, and he became the deacon of the St. James Baptist Church in Marion, Alabama in the summer of 1964. His efforts to register to vote were blocked by the local white officials for four years, and he decided to become involved with the SCLC to fight for voting rights. On the night of 18 February 1965, 500 local African-Americans decided to march to the Perry County jail to sing hymns outside of James Orange's jail cell, but state troopers and local policemen charged at the crowd as the streetlights were shut off, possibly shot out by the policemen. Jackson, his mother, and his 82-year-old grandfather fled to Mack's Cafe, where they pretended to read menus. However, police broke into the cafe and severely beat the grandfather, Cager Lee, and Jackson's mother Viola was beaten when she tried to stop the police from beating the defenseless old man. Jackson was shot twice in the abdomen by a policeman, who feared that Jackson was going to steal his gun, and Jackson died of his wounds a week later on 26 February 1965 at the young age of 26. His death was one of the causes of the Selma to Montgomery marches that year.